Odisha Sports Minister Seeks Explanation Over Floodlight Failure at Barabati Stadium

On Sunday, February 9, the second ODI between India and England at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, was delayed because of a floodlight failure. India was chasing a target of 305 runs and had started well before the delay happened. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill built a quick 48-run partnership in just 37 balls, giving the team strong early momentum.

Rohit seemed to be in great form, Making the crowd happy with some great shots. He sent the ball racing to the boundary for a four and cleared it thrice for sixes, igniting the crowd’s excitement. However, just as his innings were gathering momentum, one of the stadium’s floodlights unexpectedly went off in the seventh over, bringing play to a standstill. After discussions with the umpires, the teams decided to head off the field until the issue was fixed.

Barabati Stadium’s Need for Renovation

The recent floodlight failure has once again pointed out the outdated condition of Barabati Stadium. Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, the Acting President of the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), has spoken about how important it is to renovate the stadium as soon as possible.

“It was supposed to get renovated, this is a very old stadium. We have all the facilities, have made partial renovations as you can see. We have been in talks with the government,” Mohanty told the Indian Express.

With the government changing in 2024, the OCA is continuing their talks with the new government for support. “Without government funding, we cannot do a complete overhaul. BCCI will support with their infrastructure fund, but we need government support. The new government, they are also keen to develop. They wanted to build another stadium,” added Mohanty.

"As there are so many stadiums now, we are getting matches once every two years. So, this stadium will go to waste (if a new cricket stadium is built). So, we told them that whatever facility they want to build, it could be done for other sports while redeveloping this stadium for cricket. It will be renovated. The government will help us to renovate and make it a vibrant stadium again,” he said.

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